How to pronounce floss
Say it like FLOS. Floss is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce floss. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FLOS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Floss pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FLOSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of floss
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: FLOS.
What does floss mean?
- A thread used to clean the gaps between the teeth.
- Raw silk fibers.
- The fibers covering a corncob etc.; the loose downy or silky material inside the husks of certain plants, such as beans.
- A small stream of water.
- Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present.
- To clean the area between (the teeth) using floss.“I don't floss very often.”
- To show off, especially by exhibiting one's wealth or talent.
- To perform the floss dance move.
Where does floss come from?
Cognate with Old High German flocko (“down”), Middle Dutch vlocke (“flock”), Norwegian dialectal flugsa (“snowflake”), Dutch flos (“plush”) (tr=17c.).
Words that rhyme with floss
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of floss.
Questions about saying floss
How do you pronounce floss?
Say FLOS. The American pronunciation is /flɑs/. In British English it is /flɒs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in floss?
Floss is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FLOS.
Is floss pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /flɒs/ (FLOS).